EAST LANSING – If Michigan State’s football season is going to be anything it wants to remember, Brian Lewerke has to rev up his legs and ignite this MSU offense.

It’s time. He knows it now. As injuries mount and reality sets in, it’s the Spartans’ only hope.

Like Jimmy Chitwood at the town meeting in the film “Hoosiers,” MSU’s junior quarterback all but walked into the postgame press conference after Saturday’s uninspiring 31-20 win over Central Michigan and declared: “I figured it's time for me to start playing ball.”

Without his seven runs for 41 yards and two touchdowns — none of them called runs before the play unfolded — who knows how Saturday’s game might have unfolded.

“I wanted to get that going. That was something that I hadn’t really gotten going yet this year,” Lewerke said. “I was kind of focused on making plays with my legs, just pulling the ball sometimes, trying to get as many yards as I can.”

With receiver Cody White out with a broken hand suffered Saturday and the offensive line what it is, it’s Lewerke’s show now. Him and Felton Davis and, to some extent, LJ Scott, presuming he returns next week.

What separates Lewerke as a dual-threat quarterback is that he’s a passer first, he sees the game that way. What makes Lewerke a dangerous quarterback, though, is his set of wheels. Until Saturday, sans one 27-yard scamper against Utah State, he’d pretty much left himself in park.

This MSU offense needs every ounce of his abilities to keep the chains moving. There should be more plays called with a Lewerke run option. More improvisation from Lewerke. That comes with some risk. But less than getting hit unexpectedly and awkwardly in the pocket. And less pain than a 6-6 season.

Brian Lewerke, center, celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the second quarter Saturday.(Photo: Nick King/Lansing State Journal)

Saturday’s two Lewerke touchdowns were perfect examples of what has to become the norm. On the first, Lewerke read the defensive end to his left, kept the ball instead of handing it off and rolled the other way across the goal line.

On the second, with no receivers open and small window to get to the end zone, Lewerke took off and dove in, just ahead of a couple CMU defenders, for a 14-3 lead late in the second quarter.

And in the fourth quarter, facing a third-and-4, with the game one wild play from getting interesting, Lewerke tucked the ball and ran a long way to pick up 6 yards.

“I’m not sure there was a single called quarterback run today,” MSU co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner said. “But he did a very good job of getting outside the pocket there, especially in the fourth quarter. That’s something we’ve told him time and time again — you get out there, you don’t have to throw it. You’ve got some green space, go ahead and run it, especially in those situations.”

In every situation now.

That’s how MSU got to 10-3 last season. Lewerke rushed for more than 50 yards six times and 40 yards in seven games, counting sacks. Including his one sack Saturday, when he stepped out of bounds for a 2-yard loss, Lewerke finished with 39 yards rushing, a season-high and only his second game with positive yardage on the ground.

This is a different MSU offense this year in part because it’s a different Lewerke. That’s got to change. Again, I think he sees that now.

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Michigan State's Connor Heyward, left, and the Spartans stand for the national anthem before the game against Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Laress Nelson, left, catches a pass as Central Michigan's Alex Briones closes in during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Raequan Williams, right, closes in on Central Michigan's Tommy Lazzaro during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Central Michigan's Damon Terry, a former Everett High School student, prepares for a play during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Justin Layne, right, closes in on Central Michigan's Kobe Lewis during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Central Michigan's Damon Terry, left and Tony Poljan, right, line up on offense during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Terry played at Everett High School and Poljan played at Lansing Catholic. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Brandon Sowards, left, is tackled by Central Michigan's Gage Kreski during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Weston Bridges runs with the ball as Central Michigan's Devonni Reed closes in during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's LaÕDarius Jefferson, left, celebrates his touchdown with Matt Sokol during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Head coach Mark Dantonio and the Michigan State Spartans prepare to take the field before their game against Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Justin Layne, right, is penalized for a late hit on Central Michigan quarterback Tommy Lazzaro during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Central Michigan's Tony Poljan, right, shakes hands with Michigan State's Khari Willis after the game on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Poljan played for Lansing Catholic in high school. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Brian Lewerke, center, celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's David Dowell, right, is pushed out of bounds by Central Michigan's Damon Terry after Dowell's interception during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Cody White, right, runs after a catch as Central Michigan's Sean Bunting, center, and Devonni Reed close in during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Brian Lewerke, left, celebrates his touchdown with LaÕDarius Jefferson during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Central Michigan's Tommy Lazzaro is sacked by Michigan State's Jacub Panasiuk, center, and Jack Camper during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Spartan Marching Band feature twirler wears a Spartans S in her hair before the football game against Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Strolling Spartans Band member Jim Niebling slaps hands with tailgaters before the Spartans game against Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, outside Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

Michigan State alumnus Eric Mitchell, 28, talks about how he used to park on Munn Field for Spartans games while throwing the football on Munn Field on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal

The touted passing game the Spartans and others — me included — thought might make them special, is enough to make them almost average, offsetting a ground game that, even with Saturday’s slight progress, remains debilitating. Lewerke is not yet the marksman to dominate with his arm. Perhaps that’ll come. His wideouts are suddenly mostly beat up or unproven.

He blamed his only interception Saturday, in the end zone, on a missed pass interference call by the officials. I didn’t mind him placing blame. If we want athletes to be honest and blunt and not just waste our time with cliches, then we can’t ridicule them for doing so. Still, it’s a turnover. One that might happen again. MSU needs Lewerke to take chances, even if it’s contributed to five interceptions in four games this season.

It can survive those turnovers if the interceptions aren’t the end of rare opportunities at touchdowns.

The solution is not less risk from Lewerke. It’s more. With his feet.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.